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ADDRESS BY HIS MAJESTY KING LETSIE III - THE CHANCELLOR AT THE 30TH CONVOCATION FOR THE AWARD OF CERTIFICATES, DIPLOMAS AND CONFERMENT OF DEGREES NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO, ROMA SATURDAY, 1ST OCTOBER, 2005 |
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THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE PRIME MINISTER, HONOURABLE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, HONOURABLE CHIEF JUSTICE, HONOURABLE CABINET MINISTERS, HONOURABLE JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT, YOUR EXCELLENCIES, MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS, CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL, VICE-CHANCELLOR, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND GRADUANDS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS WITH A GREAT SENSE OF PRIDE AND SATISFACTION THAT I UNDERTAKE TO PERFORM THIS DAUNTING AND YET PLEASANT TASK OF PRESIDING OVER THIS 30TH CONVOCATION FOR CONFERMENT OF DEGREES AND AWARD OF CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS. YOUR EXCELLENCIES, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE REACHED THAT TIME OF THE YEAR WHERE IT IS CUSTOMARY FOR THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO TO AWARD CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS AND CONFER DEGREES TO DESERVING GRADUANDS. IT IS MY SINGULAR HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE TO WELCOME YOU ALL AND I WISH TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING SACRIFICED YOUR PRECIOUS TIME TO BE WITH US ON THIS SPECIAL OCCASION. MY SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS GO TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR STUDIES AND ARE BEING PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED TODAY. WE ALSO EXTEND OUR COMPLIMENTS AND RESPECTS TO THEIR FAMILIES WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THEM THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD OF THEIR STUDIES. THIS IS A JOYOUS OCCASION WHICH YOU ALL DESERVE TO SAVOUR. TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE GRADUATING TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN YOUR LIVES BUT I WANT TO CAUTION YOU THAT THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE ROAD. AS YOU OPEN NEW CHAPTERS IN YOUR LIVES, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS REMAIN FOCUSED ON CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR COMMUNITIES AND COUNTRY AND REMAIN ALERT TO DEAL WITH ANY CHALLENGE THAT LIFE MAY THROW AT YOU. IT IS ALSO OUR HOPE THAT WHATEVER CAREER PATH YOU PURSUE, YOU WILL BE AGENTS AND CATALYSTS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE. AS WE CONGRATULATE THE SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS TODAY, WE MUST ALSO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE TEACHING AND NON-TEACHING MEMBERS OF STAFF WHO HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME SERVING THESE PEOPLE WHOM WE NOW REFER TO AS GRADUANDS. THEY HAVE ALL PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THESE GRADUANDS. WHILE WE THANK THEM FOR THE JOB WELL DONE, IT IS OUR EXPECTATION THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS WITH EQUAL DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION. DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, I HAD THE HONOUR TO INAUGURATE A NEW UNIVERSITY COUNCIL WHICH TOOK OVER FROM THE 9TH COUNCIL. ONCE AGAIN, I WISH TO THANK MEMBERS OF THE 9TH COUNCIL FOR HAVING PROVIDED OVERALL POLICY GUIDANCE TO THE UNIVERSITY DURING THEIR TERM OF OFFICE. WE WISH THEM WELL AND HOPE THAT THEY WILL NOT STOP TO BE AMBASSADORS OF OUR UNIVERSITY AS THEY PURSUE THEIR VARIOUS AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES, IN THE SAME SPIRIT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MEMBERS OF THE 10TH COUNCIL WHO HAVE JUST TAKEN OVER THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE UNIVERSITY. IN MY JUDGEMENT, THE 10TH COUNCIL IS MADE UP OF MEN AND WOMEN WITH CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN THEIR FIELDS OF EXPERTISE AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE UNIVERSITY WILL BENEFIT IMMENSELY FROM THEIR COLLECTIVE WISDOM. WE WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR NEW ASSIGNMENT. HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OUR UNIVERSITY HAS REACHED A CRITICAL STAGE IN ITS DEVELOPMENT. IT IS POISED TO BE EITHER A GREAT UNIVERSITY AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF NEW KNOWLEDGE OR ONE WHICH FOLLOWS OLD TRENDS, WITH NO ORIGINALITY OF THOUGHT OR IDEAS. AFTER MORE THAN SIXTY YEARS OF EXISTENCE FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF PIUS XII TO THE PRESENT, OUR UNIVERSITY HAS GROWN RATHER SLUGGISHLY. FIGURES AVAILED TO ME INDICATE THAT THE STUDENT POPULATION IS NOW ONLY OVER SEVEN THOUSAND. THIS IMPLIES THAT THOUSANDS OF OUR CHILDREN ARE PURSUING THEIR HIGHER EDUCATION IN OTHER COUNTRIES AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE. THE DEMAND FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AMONG OUR PEOPLE SURPASSES THE SUPPLY BY A WIDE MARGIN. CONSEQUENTLY, LOGIC DICTATES THAT WE HAVE TO URGENTLY INCREASE THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF OUR FACILITIES IF WE ARE TO ENROL A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF OUR STUDENTS LOCALLY AND THEREBY CURBING THE OUTWARD FLOW OF OUR SCARCE FINANCIAL RESOURCES. I AM AWARE THAT MODEST ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS THIS CONCERN HAVE NOW BEGUN. NONETHELESS, I CALL UPON YOU, HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, TO EXERCISE YOUR POWERS AND ENSURE THAT A CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT EXISTS FOR OUR STUDENTS TO OBTAIN THEIR EDUCATION AT THIS UNIVERSITY. THE CURRENT CONSTRUCTION OF LABORATORIES FOR THE FACULTIES OF AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH SCIENCES AND THE HALLS OF RESIDENCE FOR STUDENTS, IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LET ME NOW MOVE ON TO ANOTHER IMPORTANT SUBJECT WHICH THIS UNIVERSITY MUST ATTEND TO IMMEDIATELY IF IT IS TO BE A PACE SETTER IN ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE. A UNIVERSITY, MR VICE CHANCELLOR, MUST BE A PLACE OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH. IT MUST EXCEL IN ITS PERFORMANCE AS AN INSTITUTION OF SCHOLARSHIP AND LEARNING, AND BE IN THE FOREFRONT IN SEEKING SOLUTIONS TO SOCIETAL PROBLEMS. SOCIETY EXPECTS, AND RIGHTFULLY TOO, THAT THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD ASSIST IN TACKLING THE CHALLENGES FACING OUR COUNTRY IN RETURN FOR THE CAPITAL INJECTED INTO THE UNIVERSITY . I AM WELL AWARE THAT THE INNOVATIVE RESEARCH WHICH I AM CALLING FOR, CAN ONLY TAKE ROOT WHERE GOOD RESEARCH FACILITIES EXIST AND ALSO WHERE SERIOUS POSTGRADUATE TEACHING AND RESEARCH IS PRESENT. BOTH OF THESE BASIC REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN LACKING OR ARE, AT BEST WEAK AT PRESENT. I AM GRATIFIED TO LEARN THAT PLANS ARE UNDERWAY FOR PUTTING IN PLACE AN APPROPRIATE STRUCTURE FOR RUNNING OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES AS A PRELUDE TO A SUSTAINED POSTGRADUATE TEACHING PROGRAMME. CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL, EXCELLENCIES, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, YOU WILL NOTE THAT THIS YEAR, MY ADDRESS IS LARGELY FOCUSED ON THE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSITY WE WANT TO HAVE. IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE, IT IS, PERHAPS, ADVISABLE THAT WE SHOULD PAUSE AND ASSESS THE RELEVANCE OF OUR VISION. WE ALSO HAVE TO REVIEW THE STRATEGIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNIVERSITY VISION AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE APPROPRIATE TO LEAD US TO OUR DESIRED DESTINATION. LET US REMIND OURSELVES THAT THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY RECEIVES SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING FROM THE TAX PAYERS AND THEREFORE HAS AN OBLIGATION TO PRODUCE TANGIBLE RESULTS AND DEMONSTRATE ITS COMMITMENT TO SOLVING, NOT ONLY THE PROBLEM OF HUMAN RESOURCES SCARCITY IN THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO BY CONTRIBUTING TO THE SOLUTION OF OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS FACING OUR COUNTRY. I THEREFORE, CALL ON THE MANAGEMENT AND THE COUNCIL TO SERIOUSLY APPLY THEIR MINDS ON THESE CONCERNS. WHILE GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO FUNDING EDUCATION IN GENERAL AND THE UNIVERSITY IN PARTICULAR, IS NOT IN DOUBT, I WANT TO EMPHASISE THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE THAT THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD GENERATE ITS OWN RESOURCES FOR FUNDING OF ITS PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES. AS TIME GOES ON, WE EXPECT THE UNIVERSITY TO INCREASINGLY RELY ON ITS OWN SOURCES OF FUNDS. IN MY VIEW, THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD SEEK SUPPORT FOR FINANCING CAPITAL PROJECTS AND LESS FOR ITS DAY TO DAY RUNNING. WE MUST PREPARE FOR THE DAY WHEN GOVERNMENT SUBVENTION AND OTHER DONATED FUNDS DRY UP. LET ME CONCLUDE MY ADDRESS BY ONCE AGAIN THANKING ALL OUR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS WHO, IN VARIOUS WAYS, HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH OF THIS UNIVERSITY. IN PARTICULAR, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR PARTNERS WHO CAME TOGETHER RECENTLY TO FUND THE LESOTHO DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION CENTRE WHICH WAS LAUNCHED TWO WEEKS AGO. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU, FOR WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE, SOME OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS RECORDED BY THE UNIVERSITY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. IT IS OUR HOPE THAT, AS THE UNIVERSITY GOES THROUGH ITS VARIOUS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, YOU WILL CONTINUE TO EXTEND A HELPING HAND. YOUR EXCELLENCIES, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, GRADUANDS, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND WISH YOU PEACEFUL AND JOYOUS GRADUATION CELEBRATIONS. KHOTSO! PULA! NALA! 05 October 2005 |
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| source: LENA |